Zutara Week 2014
by FugitiveOfReality
Summary: Melancholy, Jubilant, Motorcycle, Cobalt Blue, Unrequited, Socks and Slow Dancing. Seven days, seven stories; these are my contributions to Zutara Week this year!
1. Melancholy

**Sooo, here's my first contribution, in my first year of participating in Zutara Week! XD**

**It doesn't exactly fit with the definition of the prompt, but it was the best I could think of and I suppose it will do. It's longer than I had planned, probably the longest one I'll submit this week ;P**

**I hope you like it!**

***Oh, and I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters!**

***The cover belongs to the amazing Beanaroony on DeviantART**

* * *

**Melancholy**

Katara stared at the door in front of her. She took a deep breath and pressed down the door handle.

This was her fourth visit with the broken princess. Azula was being kept in a smaller room in the furthest corner of the palace. There was a bed and a table and a window with view of the royal garden. During Katara's first two visits, she had found the princess sitting by the window, staring numbly at the little pond, providing home for turtleducks. Both visits had ended up with Katara sitting down at the table and talking to Azula, trying to get some sort of response, without success.

This visit started no different, Azula's back facing Katara as she stepped into the room. The princess wore nothing but a red dressing-gown, the long black hair falling messily down her back.

"Hello, Azula", Katara greeted the way she had yesterday, and the day before that. As expected, the princess didn't even acknowledge her presence. She just kept staring out the window without a word.

Katara sighed exasperatedly and walked up to the table to take a seat. She didn't know why this was so important to her. She just felt somehow responsible for bringing the princess over the edge. Of course she knew that she couldn't be to blame for Azula's breakdown; if she had understood it correctly, the collapse of the princess had been building up for a long time before the day of Sozin's comet. But Katara had been there to witness the actual prostration, just after chaining the princess to the ground herself. And looking at this broken image of the once impenetrable princess, Katara couldn't help but feel guilty and responsible for bringing Azula out of this broken state.

"So, have you been sleeping well?" It was a lame question to ask someone who was obviously in a deep depression, but honestly, the princess most likely didn't sleep as she should, if she did at all. It had been two weeks since Zuko's coronation, three since the day of the comet and no one entering the room to check on the princess had seen her doing anything else but sit by the window and staring at the garden below. Neither had anyone heard her utter a word. And Katara had grown tired of it.

She suddenly stomped up to Azula and leaned against the window frame in front of the princess. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at Azula.

"Look, I'm not going to give up on this, and I'm going to keep coming here until you speak to me", Katara said in a strong and clear voice. "I know you don't like this more than I do, but whether you like it or not, I'm not going to leave this palace in a long, long time."

And then, finally, Katara got some response from the princess. Her golden eyes shifted up to Katara's blue ones and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then, in a slightly hoarse voice, Azula said: "So my brother really did fall for a peasant?"

Katara was taken aback, both from the fact that the princess had spoken for the first time in weeks and from what she had said. Azula may have gone through a mental breakdown, but she was not stupid. She had done the math and figured out Katara's actual reason to stay in the Fire Nation. She and Zuko hadn't announced their relationship yet; officially, Katara had stayed in the palace to function as the Ambassador from the Southern Water tribe. But Azula being Azula, and having seen the tenderness between the two during and after the Agni Kai three weeks ago, of course she had figured it out.

"Yes. I suppose in the future, you'll be sisters with a peasant like me", Katara answered in a cold tone. The princess' face had been expressionless as she'd looked up at Katara, however now, it twisted and Azula shot up from her chair.

Katara winced, but kept her gaze steady as the princess glared at her.

"You don't belong here!" Azula hissed. "You are nothing but a filthy little thief! You don't deserve to sit at the throne, MY throne – the throne you stole from me!" The princess moved in half circles, backing away from Katara, though never breaking eye contact. "I was born to sit at that throne! I was born to rule!" she shouted. Then she turned around from Katara and pulled at her messy hair. "No on can take that from me! Not my failure of a brother or my mother", she added in a somewhat lower voice. Then she turned her head back to look at Katara. "Or filthy peasants like you!"

Then the princess just glared at Katara silently for a moment, before yelling; "I am the princess, not you!", and burst into tears. She stumbled over to her bed, fell face down and cried into her pillow.

Katara watched the broken princess, astounded at how low she had stooped. Deciding she had had enough for one day, she pulled some water from the many barrels kept in the room for her to use, should Azula attack her. Katara walked over to the bed and put her water-covered hands to Azula's temples. Then she swiftly hit a spot just below the princess' neck and put her in a calm, dreamless sleep. It was a technique Yugoda had taught her back at the North Pole. She gently took Azula's head in her hands and placed it in a comfortable angle.

Katara slowly straightened up and turned to leave the room. She knocked on the door twice and the guards let her out. Before she left, the guards bowed to her and she nodded politely to them in return.

It wasn't until Katara had reached the shadows of the long hall that she let her feelings overwhelm her. She slumped down a pillar and leaned her head back against it as she sat on the floor. A tear slipped down her cheek and she closed her eyes.

She wasn't sure what she had expected would happen when the princess finally did respond. From the first time Katara had encountered Azula, the princess had struck her as this extremely confident and strong person; impossible to outsmart or defeat. And impossible to foresee.

However, Azula's outburst was not what Katara had expected. The shouting was reasonable; Azula's antipathy for Zuko and her. But the way the princess' voice had almost broken, her brutish pulling at her hair and her wild eyes where not something Katara had wished to witness... And certainly not the crying. Azula was the kind of person Katara would imagine didn't cry much as a child, didn't cry at all actually. Though after having cried continuously for hours after the Agni Kai, Katara had kind of thought Azula had made up for it.

Now it seemed like the princess had unlocked herself and let herself cry. She let herself lose her mind; she let herself be human. Katara supposed that was at least something – it was better than the apathetic, lifeless behaviour the princess had engaged in lately.

But it frightened Katara how much someone could change in such a short amount of time and it hurt her to see Azula's sanity seeping through her fingers.

_You wanted her to show emotion, didn't you? _a voice said to Katara. _You should be happy – you succeeded._

And Katara was relieved. It would be a lot easier to help Azula now that she was actually speaking. But Katara couldn't let go of the sadness that had inevitably started to creep into her...

* * *

At diner that evening, Katara sat silent at the table. Aang had left a couple of days ago with Sokka and Suki to help calm things down in the Fire Nation colonies around the Earth Kingdom; fights had occurred concerning who should have right to the land. An agreement was yet to be signed in the upcoming weeks.

Only Katara and Toph had remained in the Fire Nation palace with the new Fire Lord. The two of them where currently sat in one of the large dining rooms with Zuko and General Iroh.

Katara stared down at her plate. She had barely touched the roasted duck, she simply had no appetite. She just sat there, lost in her dim mind, partially listening to the ongoing discussion between Toph and Iroh. And unaware of the Fire Lord's intense gaze.

Katara soon excused herself, saying she needed some fresh air, and absent-mindedly strolled out onto a balcony. She sat down at a bench and turned her eyes up towards the new moon. She couldn't quite discern what it was she was feeling. She just felt empty, yet at the same time heavy, like she was being drawn down into a dark depth and there was no way to get up.

_Huh... I'm being more affected by my meetings with Azula than I thought I would... _Katara thought and the image of the princess' hysterical face once again occurred in her mind. She shivered and rose to go back to her chamber. Some sleep would help her get her mind off the princess.

As she entered her borrowed room and closed the door after her, a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

"Something's bothering you", a raspy voice said behind her.

Katara spun around and saw Zuko leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was all covered in shadows; no wonder she hadn't seen him.

Katara averted her eyes to the floor. "I don't know what your talking about. I'm fine", she said. She didn't know why but she didn't want to tell Zuko about what really was bothering her. At least not tonight...

Zuko stepped out into the light, standing in front of her and forcing her to look up at him. He had stepped out of his usual complete Fire Lord outfit and wore nothing but a sleeveless, dark red tunic and a pair of black trousers now, his hair falling messily in his eyes. He shook his head with his brow raised.

"Really, Katara? I've grown to know you well enough to tell that's not true."

Katara sighed again and turned around. Zuko's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could get anywhere. He pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his. She let out a surprised "mmhp" and stiffened all over, not answering his passionate kiss like she usually would.

Zuko noticed this as well and pulled back, though still holding her close. "What is it that you can't even say to me? You know you can tell me anything..." His voice held a taste of hurt.

Katara sighed as she looked into his eyes. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea by keeping things from him. Giving in, she simply said; "Azula spoke today."

Zuko was clearly taken aback, just like Katara had been. "Really? Well... that's good I suppose. What did she say?"

Katara gently pulled away from him and walked over to her bed, taking a seat. "Well, more accurately, she was screaming. According to her, we stole the throne from her. As we predicted, she's got a lot of anger towards you. And me, for that matter." Katara closed her eyes. "I don't know her the way you do, but it's just... no one should have to fall that far..."

Zuko sat down beside her and looked at her closely. "I don't understand why you're doing this to yourself", he finally said. "She's not your responsibility. And for Agni's sake, she _shot lightning _at you!"

"I never got hit...", Katara said weakly.

"No, I did!" Zuko retorted heatedly. He noticed Katara's slight wince at the sharpness of his voice. "And I would do it again for you", he added in a softer tone and stroke her cheek. "But that's besides the point. She was pleased I took the lightning; she found joy in watching me lying on the ground dying!"

"No she didn't!" Katara threw back just as heatedly. "Not for real! I know there's more to her... somewhere...", she trailed off.

Zuko stared at her as if she'd gone crazy.

"She wasn't herself! Even from the little I know about her, I know that for sure! You can't honestly believe that she was, she's still your sister!"

Zuko shot up from the bed and took a few steps before turning back to her. "Yeah, but it's not the same as with you and Sokka! Azula, she's not... She's never cared about me... or anyone, but herself. My mother could see that all along and I've had to live with it my whole life – you could have died because of it!"

Katara rose as well to stand in front of him. "Yes, but how can you blame her? How can you expect someone to care and show love when they haven't been shown any of it themselves? As I understand it Azula and your mother weren't on the best of turns with each other and Ozai, I doubt he is capable of feeling love at all-"

"So that gives her right to do what she did?!" Zuko interrupted angrily.

"And how much love did you give to her?!" Katara finished with the same anger.

To this, Zuko had no answer. All anger subsided from his face and was replaced by guilt and pain as the truth in Katara's words settled in. He turned away from her.

Katara let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "All I mean is that we all make mistakes, and we all deserve a second chance", she said in a softer voice. She opened her eyes again and put a hand on his shoulder. "You should know that better than anyone."

He finally turned back to her and put his own hand over hers. "I guess so. But I still don't understand why you must be the one to do this."

Katara offered him a weak smile. "Because I'm a healer. And because it was my actions that triggered her actual breakdown. I'm responsible for releasing her into this deep depression. It's my duty to try to help her out of it."

Zuko's eyes met hers. He was about to protest but understood she was not going to listen to him. "Even if it brings you pain as well?"

Katara thought about this for a moment. "I've already started this, and I'm not going to be able to rest before I've finished it. It is my duty, and I will never turn my back on people who need me, no matter the cost."

Zuko saw the determination in her eyes, but he also saw the sadness that still lay behind it. He pulled her into an embrace and mumbled into her hair; "You are too selfless, you know that, right?"

She made no reply, just relaxed in his strong arms.

When they broke apart, Zuko kept a firm hold on her upper arms. "Fine", he said. "Do what you feel you need to do. But I won't let her drag you into depression with her. Tell me what to do to help you, anything."

Katara smiled up at him, a sincere smile this time. "You can kiss me like nothing is wrong in the world."

At this, Zuko's face brightened up, before he more than willingly fulfilled her request. His lips found hers and this time, she returned the kiss and deepened it hungrily as she felt it blunt all her thoughts. As Zuko's tongue playfully made contact with her lower lip, one thought crossed her mind though and she broke the kiss.

Zuko could tell by the frown on her face that she was pondering something. "What?" he asked softly.

"I just don't know how to make her trust me. I can't help her if she doesn't...", Katara said and lowered her eyes.

Zuko stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Trust is something you have to earn, remember? You're the one who taught this to me. You have to make her understand that you're there to help her, and then you have to give her time. This is not something that can be solved overnight. It will take time and it will be difficult. But I know you can do it; when you decide to do something, you can do anything. Nothing can stop you from achieving what you believe in, that's who you are."

Katara looked up at him. His face was one of admiration and warmth. "I love you", she whispered.

Zuko smiled and answered by once again capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. This time, she made no objection and just let him take her mind off her worries.

* * *

The next morning, when Katara entered the room in the furthest corner of the palace, it was with determination. Thanks to Zuko, she looked at her fifth visit with Azula with a somewhat optimistic outlook.

Though, the little confidence she had gathered wavered as she once again found the princess sitting by the window, staring down at the royal garden.

"Hello, Azula", she greeted nevertheless and continued with her usual question; "Did you sleep well?"

There was silence for a moment, before the princess' voice reached Katara's ears; "Why do you keep coming here?"

Relief washed over Katara, relief that Azula hadn't returned to her apathetic, unreachable state. "Because I wish to help you."

At this, the princess turned her head to look at Katara with narrowed eyes. "Don't you despise me, the way I despise you?"

"No, I don't", Katara answered truthfully. "I don't like what you've done. But I want to give you the chance to show us there is more to you than the person who did all those things. I believe that you have good in you, and deep down, I think you know it as well."

The princess looked at Katara a few seconds, before turning back to look out the window and made no reply to Katara's honest answer. Instead, she spoke in a cold voice; "During your first visit, you said that the Avatar took my father's bending away. If he truly can do that, how come I've still got mine?"

Katara was slightly surprised that Azula had actually listened to her during her first visits.

"Because we think there is still hope for you", Katara answered in a calm tone. "Like I said, I want to give you a chance to show me there's more to you than we've seen so far-"

Katara was interrupted when the princess suddenly stood up with enough speed to send the chair flying to the floor. "And why should I trust you?!" Azula spat out and glared down at Katara. "Why should I believe that you're not here just to mock me with your victory?! Why should I believe that you've forgiven me so easily?"

This time, Katara didn't let herself wince at Azula's outburst, and rose from her chair as well. She stared back at Azula, meeting her furious golden eyes. "I haven't forgiven you", she answered just as loud. "I haven't forgiven what you did, but I want to be able to one day. And believe it or not, I'm not proud of what I did to you either. I didn't enjoy chaining you to the ground, but I did what I had to do right then. Now, I'm trying to make up for it, because I can see that you're in pain. And I can help you, if you let me."

Azula looked at her with what looked like astonishment for a moment, before her eyes narrowed again. "Why should I trust you?" she repeated.

"Because you're a judge of character, aren't you? Look into my eyes, and you'll see that I'm honest when I say I'm here to help you", Katara said and softened her expression.

Azula examined Katara's face through narrowed eyes, and then her face too softened just the slightest. She took a step back, ever wary, but somewhat more relaxed.

Katara's eyes fixated on the grey markings underneath Azula's eyes. "I think you need more rest", she stated. "Would you like me to help you sleep again?" she offered in a gentle tone.

The princess watched her closely a second, before silently giving a nod.

When Katara left Azula's room, she couldn't help but feel slightly happy about how the visit had turned out. Having been allowed to help the princess sleep wasn't much, but it was a start. And for the first time, Katara felt certain that – with Zuko's help – she would be able to get both Azula and herself through this depression. All she needed was to be patient and as long as she had the person she loved with her, she had the perfect remedy to her own sadness.


	2. Jubilant

**I know, it's very late, but this one was difficult to write...**

**Anyway, here's my contribution for Day 2; another "Katara's-life-in-the-Fire-Nation-after-the-war".**

**It's actually ridiculous; here I was thinking the fic for Day 1 would be the longest one this week and this one ends up being even longer, I don't know why it's so hard for me to write stuff with a normal length... X/**

**Not so much Zutara-action in this one, I'm afraid, sorry if it's boring...**

**How Katara would try to win the people's confidence if she was to become Fire Lady is just something I've been thinking about a lot, and hopefully this turned out pretty well in that aspect :)**

**Hope you like it, despite the lack of Zutara-fluff! There will be a lot of that in the upcoming fics, I promise ;)**

***I don't own Avatar or any of its characters!**

* * *

**Jubilant**

Katara woke to the soft sound of even, heavy breathing. A smile broke across her face as she opened her eyes and was greeted with the face of the sleeping Fire Lord. She'd never get tired of this; waking up beside him and watching his calm expression as he slept.

Yet, there was something in the back of her mind that gnawed at her and ruined this perfect moment.

It was the morning after the festivities of the one-year anniversary of the end of the war. The peace had finally started to settle in, and people where more than willing to celebrate. The preparations for the celebration had started months ago and the feast had lasted for days. And indeed had Zuko sealed the feast with a statement that would unleash a chain of more festivities.

Katara's fingers brushed the new necklace that had been strapped around her neck only a night ago. She was filled with so much happiness, yet at the same time there was something that bothered her, and it wouldn't let go.

Careful not to wake Zuko, Katara untangled herself from the sheets and grabbed a dressing-gown from a chair next to the bed. She strolled over to one of the many windows in the Fire Lord's chamber and gazed out into the daylight. In the distance, past the large gates surrounding the palace, Katara could see the citizens up and walking in the morning sun. This had been her home for the last couple of months and she supposed she'd better get used to it, seeing as she soon would be sitting on its throne next to Zuko.

With a frown on her face, Katara turned around and stalked into the dressing room interconnected with the bedchamber. She had started keeping at least a couple of her own robes in the Fire Lord's quarters; you never knew when she'd be spending the night in Zuko's bed and being caught walking around the palace in nothing but a dressing-gown was not something she wished for.

She absent-mindedly pulled out a long-sleeved sky-blue dress and disappeared behind a screen to get changed.

She stopped by the door to throw a last glance at her still sleeping husband-to-be, and then slipped out the door and leaving Zuko's quarters.

First, Katara headed for her own chamber to wash up and pull her hair into an elegant Southern Water tribe updo. Then she left for the dining hall to get some breakfast.

All the curtains had been pulled back and Katara was greeted by daylight as she stepped into the great room. She received a warm smile from General Iroh, who was already seated at the end of the large table. Katara returned the smile and sat down next to him. In front of her was a whole buffet of various breads, cheeses, meats and a big bowl of fruits.

Iroh poured some tea into a cup and held it out to her. "Good morning, Lady Katara."

Katara took the teacup and smiled a thanks. "Good morning."

Iroh took a sip of his own tea and gestured at her necklace. "I must congratulate you. I'm sure you will make an excellent addition to the royal family", he said happily.

Katara let out a breath and forced a smile.

The General tilted his head to the side slightly and looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong, my dear?" he questioned. Then his eyes widened. "You are not regretting accepting Zuko's proposal, are you?"

"No", Katara answered quickly. "No, of course not. I love Zuko, with all my heart, and I want nothing more than to be with him." Katara paused and a frown found its way onto her face. "It's just that... by marrying Zuko, I'm not just becoming his wife...", she trailed off.

Iroh watched her for a moment. "You're concerned about the responsibilities of being Fire Lady", he finally said.

Katara nodded. "How will the people react to their Fire Lord marrying a commoner from the South Pole? And I know nothing about how to rule a nation, except for the things I've seen Zuko do. I don't know how to take care of a whole people..."

"Katara", Iroh said gently. "I have grown to know you as one of the most compassionate, caring persons I know. And if I'm not mistaken, you've always been the one to take on responsibilities. You have all the most important features in you already."

Katara sighed. "Maybe. But I hardly know anything about the Fire Nation, or the people for that matter..."

The old General's face turned thoughtful. "Every city has two sides", he finally said. "There is the one we surround ourselves in every day; the part where people live in wealth and prosperity – the Fire Nation is a very wealthy kingdom. But there are always those who does not get their share in that wealth. In the countryside, there are a couple of villages that are near the breaking point, as you may have noticed during your travels. I'm afraid my brother did not care about the people in those villages. However, maybe it could be useful to you if you would visit that side of this city-"

Iroh was interrupted as the doors to the dining hall swung open and Zuko walked into the room. He was dressed in one of his lighter Fire Lord robes, it was formal but didn't have too many layers, and his hair was pulled back in a top knot, the golden crown shining on top of his head.

"Good morning", he greeted cheerfully and leant down to place an affectionate kiss on Katara's cheek. He grabbed a dark red, round fruit Katara couldn't remember the name of and tossed it into the air only to catch it, before he took a bite. He walked over and took a seat on the other side of Iroh.

"You're in an awfully good mood today, nephew", Iroh said and looked at Zuko with a raised eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Zuko answered and smiled widely at his uncle. "I'm having breakfast with my uncle and my wife-soon-to-be", he continued and turned to Katara with a dazzling smile, that Katara couldn't help but return.

"So, is everything prepared for the announcement?" Zuko asked and turned back to Iroh.

"Yes, we will be ready for the two of you in an hour", Iroh replied and shot a glance at Katara.

She had completely forgotten about the announcement. In an hour, her and Zuko would stand in front of the whole capital to declare their betrothal. Her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't ready for that. _But you won't be alone – Zuko will stand right next to you_, she tried to calm herself.

Pushing her concerns aside, she engaged in a conversation with her companions and had some more tea and a couple of fruits.

An hour later, as she stood at the very same place Zuko had during his coronation, looking out over the crowd of citizens, Katara was reminded of Iroh's advice. Indeed, she had seen some of the places that didn't take part in the wealth during her travels through the Fire Nation with Aang and the others. Maybe it actually was a good idea to get to know that side of this city as well. She noted that she'd have to thank Iroh for the advice later.

* * *

Katara was running in the moonlight. Running and jumping from roof to roof in the central part of the Fire Nation capital. She had sneaked out of the palace; with the help of some water she had gotten on top of the wall surrounding the palace and then lunged herself onto the roof of a nearby building. She could have just said she wanted to take a walk and left through the main gates, but then she would have to bring a whole procession of guards; the future Fire Lady was not to walk around the city in the middle of the night all alone. But for this mission to be worthwhile, she needed to go alone.

And for the record, where would be the fun in taking the easy way – the one that was expected of her? She felt free as she swung over the rooftops. It felt good to do something that exercised her body. She hadn't trained properly in weeks.

Suddenly there was no more rooftops in front of her. She spotted buildings maybe a hundred feet away, and between them and her a water canal.

Deciding bending would be the best way to continue, she looked about, and as she couldn't see anyone, she pulled a pretty large amount of water up to her from the canal.

Katara threw herself at the pillar of water and let it lower her to the ground swiftly. She wasted no time and sprinted towards the canal, bringing the water with her and creating a temporary bridge over the canal which she could easily slide over by freezing some of the water underneath her feet. Landing safely on the ground on the other side of the canal, she put the water back into the furrow and turned to look around her.

These buildings were not as extravagant as the ones surrounding the palace. She realized she was closer to the lower town now and decided to continue by foot. The streets were darker than in the central city, only occasionally lit by lanterns strapped to wooden posts.

As she walked on, the buildings became smaller and smaller and after about a half hour, she came across the first ramshackle house. These became more and more the further she walked until she stopped at a street where all the houses looked like this. Some of the roofs had holes and entire walls had collapsed. There were no street lights, the only light coming from the moon and the feeble candles lit in the houses, confirming to Katara that people – soon _her _people – actually lived like this.

Katara felt a stab of pain and was immediately reminded of the different rings in Ba Sing Se. During all these months she had stayed in the capital, she had never even thought about the city it self – she was too isolated in the palace.

It was quiet. The only sound was a low hum of voices coming from a building to her left. Relative to the other buildings around Katara, she observed that this one had fared quite well. Above the door hung a sign with fading red words. _The Wilting Fire Lily _it said.

Katara scoffed humourlessly. _Suitable name_, she thought bitterly and strode towards the house. Opening the door to what seemed to be a tavern, she was met by soft light from candles placed all around the room. There was at least a dozen persons scattered around various tables. The ones sitting closest to the door looked up at her as she stepped inside.

Katara pulled at her hood, making sure it concealed her face. Eyes like hers weren't common in the Fire Nation and she was the Fire Lord's intended after all; surely even these people could recognize her.

She walked over to an empty table in the corner of the room and took a seat. She let her eyes sweep across the room to the other tavern guests. Absent-mindedly, she wondered how they could live in hovels and still afford to visit the tavern, until she noticed they all had similar tin cups, and the steam that arose from some of them. She realized this "tavern" probably didn't offer anything else than tea.

Suddenly a conversation floated over to Katara's ears from the nearest table. "I think she will be good to the Fire Nation. Maybe some variation in the blood line is just what we need", Katara heard an old woman say.

"Nah, I don't trust her", a man sitting next to the woman said. "Isn't she just some country wench from the South Pole? What does she know about ruling a whole nation? How could she possibly know anything about us?"

"Now you're just being mean, Ganjou", the woman replied. "I trust the Fire Lord, and he must have chosen her for a reason."

Ganjou scoffed. "I heard she's a pretty one. Big, exotic blue eyes."

The older woman hit him in the back of his head. "I'm sure there's more to Lady Katara than that! I have high hopes for her."

The third companion at the table then spoke for the first time; "Don't let yourself hope for too much", he said in a bitter voice. "I hoped that the new Fire Lord would have more sense than his father and pay attention to our problems, but here we are, a year later and nothing has changed." He paused for a moment and looked down at the cup in his hands. "It doesn't matter where they come from, they're all the same. None of them cares about us", he finished.

"But you're forgetting that these two fought at the Avatar's side – they ended the war", the woman said to her companion.

The man looked up at her. "Ever heard the phrase 'Power corrupts'?" he said and took a sip of his now cold tea.

To this, there came no reply and Katara decided she had had enough. She silently rose and stalked out of the tavern, ignoring the curious looks she received.

A frown had formed on her face. Was that really how people thought of her? And Zuko, for that matter. People thought they were corrupted and didn't care about the people, like Ozai?

Katara was about to take off back towards the palace, when she heard a low groan. She turned her head towards the sound and saw a man on the ground. He leant his back against a wall and pressed a shaking hand to his side.

Katara walked over to him and knelt at his side. The stench told her he hadn't had a bath in months. Katara put a hand on his shaking arm and gently pulled his hand away from his side. Even in the dim light, she could see that the wound was deep, on its way to get infected. She slowly reached into her cloak and opened her water pouch, pulling the water to envelope her hand.

The man winced as her hand appeared again and Katara offered him a comforting smile. She placed her hand over the wound and evoked her healing abilities inside her. The water started glowing and the man gasped.

She worked on the wound in silence for a few minutes, all the while aware of the man's mesmerized stare. When she pulled her hands away, nothing was left but a tiny, white mark. The man gasped again and when Katara looked up at him, she was met with a mix of astonishment, gratitude and a bit fear.

Katara reached into her cloak again and produced a gold coin. She took the man's hand and sealed it around the coin with a smile.

"Are you...?" the man trailed off in bafflement.

Katara pulled her hood back a little, enough to reveal her face and nodded. She placed a finger over her lips and rose from the ground. She smiled at him one last time before turning around and starting to walk away.

"Thank you", she heard the man call after her. She stopped and gave him a nod over her shoulder, then continued to walk back the same way she'd come.

As she ran across the rooftops in the central part of the city, Katara wondered how she could have stayed so ignorant for so long. Did Zuko know about this "other side" of the capital? How could the past Fire Lords have let it go so far?

Though one thing she knew for certain; she would not let it stay this way for long.

* * *

When Katara woke the following morning, the first thing she did was to go search for Iroh.

She found him sitting in one of the conservatories with a cup of tea in his hand.

"Ah, good morning, Lady Katara", he greeted with a smile as she approached.

Katara didn't return either the greeting nor the smile. She knew it was rude, but this was too important for such waste of time.

"I went to the lower town last night", she went straight to the point and sat down in front of him at the table. "It's just like you said; it was a completely different side of the city. Much like Ba Sing Se", she said with a frown.

"Yes, it is much like the capital of the Earth Kingdom", Iroh agreed, not at all bothered by her uncharacteristic behaviour. "All great cities are, unfortunately, the same in this matter. The only difference is that in Ba Sing Se, it has been accepted and allowed to form the society."

"But how come I haven't heard of any of this until now? How come Zuko's not been informed? We have to do something about it!" Katara said heatedly.

A frown appeared on the General's face as well. "You see, Katara, matters have been very delicate since Zuko was crowned Fire Lord. Many things have been much more urgent to deal with, such as rebellions towards Zuko, attempts to free my brother from prison and simply readjust the world to an era of peace, whereas the lower town has been this way for decades", Iroh answered thoughtfully, before sharpening his gaze on Katara. "But I agree with you that it is about time we focus on helping the people in our city."

Katara nodded and furrowed her brows. "But I don't want to put this on Zuko's shoulders; his burden is already heavy enough", Katara mused. Then she looked up at the General. "Maybe you can help me, Iroh?"

Iroh smiled warmly at her. "It would be my pleasure. When do we begin?"

Katara's face brightened up. "Well, now", she said with a smile and rose from the table. "I'll inform Zuko we're going out, so I'll meet you at the front gate in maybe an hour?"

"That will be perfect, I'll make sure we've got all we need", the General replied with a wink.

Katara smiled widely as she turned around to go find Zuko.

* * *

Three hours later, Katara and Iroh reached the open space where Katara had stopped the previous night; the street with the tavern. In daylight, she realized it was a square. Here and there were little stands selling fruits, which according to Katara didn't look too fresh, and strange-looking meats.

Katara had ordered the guards to stay on at least sixty feet behind herself and Iroh, and they had not yet reached the square.

This place looked even worse in daylight; Katara could now see that almost every roof had large holes and the streets where covered in dirt.

Katara then noticed a flash of movement from the corner of her eye, and turned her head to see what it was. She saw a little girl, probably not older than eight, swiftly sneak up to a stand selling mushy apples and reaching to grab one. As the man behind the stand caught sight of her, he immediately started yelling.

"Keep your filthy hands off my apples, you little thief!"

As the man raised his arm to hit the girl, Katara took off towards the stand and just as his hand came down towards the girl, Katara stepped in front of the child. She raised her own arm to deflect the blow and winced at the pain that shot through her forearm.

"Stop that!" she bellowed and bored her eyes into the man's. He stared at her in bewilderment, but eventually pulled his arm back and took a step backwards.

Katara turned away from him and looked at the girl. She was malnourished and her clothes where torn.

Katara turned back to the stand and produced a silver coin from her pocket. Tossing it to the man, she grabbed three apples and knelt in front of the child.

"Here you go", Katara said and held out the fruit for the girl to take. "What's your name?" she questioned with a gentle smile.

The girl carefully accepted the apples and stacked them in her arms. "Qui La", she then answered quietly.

"That's a beautiful name", Katara said softly. "Where is your family, Qui La?"

The girl gave a tiny smile at the compliment. "They're waiting for me to get back with food..." She averted her eyes as if feeling ashamed.

"How many are you?" Katara continued questioning.

"Six."

Katara tilted her head so that she could see Qui La's eyes. "Well, then three apples is not nearly enough. Let's buy some more food and then go find them, shall we?"

The girl looked at Katara in bafflement and then nodded with another tiny smile.

Katara smiled back at the child and added; "My name is Katara, by the way." Then she rose and turned around and waved to a guard, who was now stood in a side-street just outside the square, to come over to her.

As the guard stepped out into the square, a confused mumbling arose from the crowd standing about, watching the turn of events.

Someone seemed to have noticed Iroh now as well, because suddenly someone gasped and stuttered; "It's the Lady Katara and the Dragon of the West!"

The mumbling increased in volume and there were a few other gasps as well.

Katara turned back to the girl, who now looked rather afraid to be in the presence of soon-to-be royalty. "The _Lady Katara..._?" Qui La mumbled.

Katara just shook her head with a smile and knelt in front of her again. "There's no need to call me that. Just call me Katara." She gestured to the guard. "Now, let that big strong man carry the food; we've got some shopping to do", she said and held out her hands to take the apples.

Qui La placed the fruit in her hands in astonishment. Katara rose and handed the apples to the guard, then turned back to the girl and held out her hand. "Come, let's buy some food."

The child just stared at the hand for a moment, then looked up at Katara with a bright smile and took the hand.

A half hour later, Katara and Qui La, hand in hand, reached the girl's family's house. Behind them walked the guard with a basket full of food.

It had taken about ten minutes for the girl to loosen up, but after that she had started talking, telling Katara about her brothers and sisters. In return, Katara had told Qui La about Sokka and the South Pole and how she had discovered Aang in the iceberg.

As Qui La pushed the door to her house open, Katara turned around and took the basket from the guard with a smile and a polite nod, telling him to stay outside. Then she stepped into the house after the girl.

Katara felt a pang of sadness as she saw that the house was as dilapidated on the inside as it was on the outside. Though, she told herself, she had done something good for the family, at least for now.

A woman stepped into the room from what Katara supposed would have been the kitchen, had the ceiling not fallen in and covered half the space.

The woman's eyes widened at the sight of Katara. "Qui La, who is this?" she questioned, surprise colouring her voice.

Qui La smiled widely. "This is Lady Katara", she said excitedly. "Katara, this is my mother", she then said and gestured to the woman.

The woman's mouth fell open as she stared at Katara. "The _Lady Katara_...?" she said astounded, copying her daughter's reaction when she had found out who Katara was.

The little girl practically bounced up and down. "Yes! She stopped a man from hitting me and then bought food for us!" she told her mother happily.

Katara laughed at Qui La's excitement and stepped forward, holding out the basket for the woman to take. "It was the least I could do", she said gently.

Qui La's mother snapped out of her bafflement and took the basket, before bowing deeply. "Thank you, my lady!"

Katara placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Please, that's not necessary. I'm just glad I was there and could help", she said sincerely. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of gold coins and placed them at an empty spot in the basket. "Here, this should last for a while", she said and then turned to Qui La. "So you won't have to steal again any time soon." Her tone was gentle, seeing as she knew the girl hadn't had a choice.

When Katara looked back to Qui La's mother, she saw that tears had formed in her eyes. "I cannot say how grateful I am", she said truthfully.

Katara smiled warmly and gave the woman's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It was my pleasure", she answered, then turned and knelt in front of the little girl once more. "I must be going now, I abandoned my escort." Disappointment showed on the girl's face at this. "It was very nice to meet you, Qui La", Katara added and the girl's face brightened up a bit.

"Will I meet you again?" Qui La asked hopefully.

"I'm sure you will", Katara assured. "This is not my last visit. But until then, be a good girl and stay out of trouble, okay?"

Qui La nodded with a smile and threw her arms around Katara's neck. Katara hugged her back, before she rose and turned to leave.

Before she could step out of the house, Qui La's mother's voice reached her ears. "You will be a wonderful Fire Lady, Your Majesty."

Katara turned her head and gave a smiling nod to the woman, and then closed the door behind her.

Stepping out onto the street, Katara was greeted by Iroh's smiling face. Apparently he had caught up to her.

"I believe it augurs well for the Fire Nation, having you as the future Fire Lady", he said with a raised eyebrow.

A faint blush spread across Katara's face as she started walking back towards the square with Iroh.

* * *

The following few days, Katara spent in the lower town, taking notes on everything that needed her attention.

She visited the infirmaries and ordered her head guard to make sure all of them where given proper medicines and healing gear, and actually healed a couple of the patients herself.

She investigated the food sources of the lower town, creating a better system that would deliver fresh vegetables and fruits and teaching the salesmen how to take care of the food before selling it.

And three weeks after Katara's first visit in the lower town, the reconstruction project was ready to begin. She had hired educated architects and construction workers, but had also offered anyone in the lower town to come help in the rebuilding for wages, and in doing so, giving many opportunity to start build a proper economy.

Of course, all of this cost a great deal. But since the war had ended and Zuko had replaced Ozai as Fire Lord, the investment in developing the military had decreased significantly, and Katara had persuaded Zuko's advisor to let her use the spare funds to bring the lower town back on its feet.

Katara felt quite proud of her work, she knew Zuko did too. And this was only the beginning; as soon as her attention was no longer needed in the reconstruction of the capital, her work would move on to the poor villages in the countryside of the Fire Nation.

She had taken it upon her as her responsibility and goal to make sure no one in need would be ignored in the Fire Nation. After all, she would never turn her back on people who needed her.

So, when she, two years after the end of the war, stood in front of the whole capital and many visitors from all around the world, Katara felt none of the worries she had felt a year ago. She stood there next to Zuko, in a light white-blue dress with golden rimming and a golden crown attached to her hair. And in front of her, she saw nothing but cheering, happy faces. She saw citizens from the central part of the capital, citizens from the lower town and villagers from the various villages she had helped, along with people from all around the world, all come to witness a royal wedding. And all so wonderfully jubilant.

"I've never seen the people this happy", Zuko said beside her. He turned to her with admiration in his eyes. "You will be the most loved Fire Lady in all times."

Katara smiled widely at him. "Maybe", she said. "But only next to my beloved Fire Lord."

Zuko smirked and pulled her close. "Deal", he said, before leaning in and sealing their agreement with a breathtaking kiss.


	3. Motorcycle

**Fic for the third day of Zutara Week: FINISHED! :D**

**I must say, this is probably my favourite so far; finally some real Zutara-action!**

**I'm not really sure how I got the idea, I just couldn't let go of it...**

**And look, it's shorter than four pages - I'm proud! XD**

**I hope you like it!**

***I don't own Avatar or any of its characters.**

***EDIT: After reading a review, I realized I made a few mistakes considering Hakoda's military position. For example, he would be allowed to go home two weeks during his year away on a mission. If you find any other mistakes like this, please tell me (I don't know much about military stuff). Also, I realized that I didn't write it as though Katara or Zuko wore any helmets, which I suppose they should. But I guess the way I wrote it works, that they could be wearing helmets anyway? Please let me know if you think I should change it in the fic! **

* * *

**Motorcycle**

Katara had always preferred to run.

Whenever she would feel too upset to stay still, she'd run. She felt like she had to keep moving.

Of course, if someone needed her, she would stay with them. That was one of her greatest principles; if someone needed her, she would never turn her back on them.

For example, when they had first gotten to know her mother had died, she had stayed with her brother and father until they both had fallen asleep. Then, she had sneaked down the stairs and out of the house. She had run all the way to the pier that lay on the other side of town, where her and her mother always used to sit down and have ice cream in the summer, hot chocolate in the winter.

Katara had gotten into trouble for running away that time though; she had only been eight years old and it had been an unusually cold November. Her father had been furious with her when they finally found her.

Then there was the day when her father had told her and her brother that his whole military division had been moved, and their whole family would have to leave their hometown; the place where Katara and Sokka had been born.

That was the only time Katara hadn't remembered to check if she was needed; she had just risen from the kitchen table and walked out into the summer heat and taken off. She had run around the whole town, stopping for a while at all her favourite places, including the pier. Then she had returned home, once she had calmed down and said goodbye to the only place she'd ever known, and just walked up the stairs to start packing.

Though, that had turned out well at last. Both her and Sokka had made friends in their new town. It was actually on the way to their new house that Katara had first seen Zuko, racing past them on his motorcycle. At the time, Katara had thought he was a lunatic; no sane person would purposely drive that fast. Her opinion on him had eventually grown to change though...

When Katara's father had told them that his division was to be shipped off to help in an ongoing civil war in some far corner of the world, Katara had at first been overwhelmed with sadness. Her and Sokka had spent most of the night sitting close to one another and comforting each other. That time she had let Sokka take care of her as much as she took care of him.

It wasn't until she had woken up the next morning beside her brother in his room, and the sadness had been replaced by anger, that she had left the house to run.

Yes, Katara had always liked running; it was a great way to let go of anger and a way to tune out sadness and pain. And it sure had helped her get through some of the toughest moments in her life.

* * *

"Do you trust me?" Zuko asked her over his shoulder.

"Um... that depends", she answered.

Zuko let out a short laughter. "Fair enough!" he shouted to the wind, and turned up the gas.

Katara screeched as the motorcycle's speed was at least doubled, and she tightened her grip around Zuko's abdomen. She was surprised the bike didn't take off into the sky.

She felt Zuko's laughter, rather than she heard it. She did hear a "Wohoo!" though.

Katara didn't have anything against motorcycles, actually it was rather thrilling just sitting on one. However, she just couldn't get used to the kind of speed Zuko preferred. She still kind of thought he was insane and that one day, he would drive himself to death. His reply to this was always just "That day, that sorrow."

Katara moved her head from resting against the back of his neck and peered over his shoulder. They were approaching the bridge that crossed the river running in a half circle around their town. Zuko was taking her to their secret hideout.

Katara pressed her forehead against his shoulder, a smile playing on her lips.

As soon as they had passed the bridge, Zuko started to slow down and left the main road, continuing down a small side road all surrounded by high trees. He hit the brakes when they reached the small opening beside the road that had become _their _place.

Zuko dismounted the bike stretched out his back. When he turned back to Katara, she crossed her arms across her chest and bored her eyes into his with a stony expression. "You speed junkie", she said in a cold voice.

As Zuko laughed at her comment, Katara's lips momentarily twitched before she could compose herself. Zuko didn't miss it and walked up to her.

"You have to learn how to drive properly", she said in the coldest tone she could muster.

Zuko reached up and brushed her lips with his thumb, knowing she could never resist that. "I _am _a good driver."

Katara stiffened at his touch and fought to maintain her cold expression. Giving up, a smile broke across her face and she caught his hand in hers. "It's not your ability to drive that's the problem. It's that you keep ignoring all the rules. You should count yourself lucky you've only gotten busted three times, and that Iroh was willing to pay the bails."

"Oh, but the rules are no fun! And for the record, I don't ignore _all _the rules – I've gotten a lot better at paying attention to them", Zuko claimed. "For you", he added and tilted his head to the side.

"Boot licker", Katara muttered. She would not fall for that one.

Zuko dramatically threw his hands up in the air and walked to the front of the vehicle. He knelt in front of the front wheel to check the new spokes he had installed only days ago.

Katara stood up from the passenger seat and watched Zuko. "This motorcycle really is your pride and joy, isn't it?"

Zuko looked up at her. "Sure as hell is", he replied and patted the driver's seat. "It's been with me during some of the most important moments of my life." Zuko rose and stood in front of her. Her eyebrows rose.

"The first time we met, for example", he said softly and offered a gentle smile as he stroked her cheek. "Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember – you almost killed Sokka", Katara snapped at him and attempted to turn around and walk away.

Zuko's hands shot out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back to him. "I told him I was sorry. Honestly, I didn't see him step out onto the road."

Katara's eyes met his and her expression softened.

"Then there's the first time we kissed", Zuko continued enumerating.

Katara raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't recall your motorcycle being part of that", she teased.

Zuko's smile turned into a mischievous smirk and he nodded. "Yes, it was there. I think it was something like this...", he trailed off as he backed Katara into the side of the bike. He then dipped his head and conquered her mouth with his.

Katara immediately answered his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. As his tongue caressed her lower lip, her legs gave in and she fell back onto the motorcycle.

Zuko's hands found her waist and hip, and he leaned down to have access to her lips as she practically lay on top of the bike now.

Katara's tongue found its way to his and taking a step closer towards the bike, Zuko's foot got caught on the kickstand. The imbalance was enough to trip him, and Katara with him, over the passenger seat and down to the ground beside the back wheel, Katara lying on top of him.

For a moment they just lay there, confused as to what had happened. Then they both burst out laughing. They untangled from each other and stood up.

"You probably should take me home now", Katara said with a sigh. "Before my dad starts to think you've abducted me."

Zuko laughed and pulled her close once more. "How he trusts me, that father of yours", he said.

Katara giggled and opened her mouth to reply, but was shut up as Zuko's mouth found hers again and he kissed her softly. They soon pulled apart and Zuko smiled down at her. "Let's go."

They both climbed onto the motorcycle and Zuko drove her home, without risking to break the road this time.

* * *

"I'm home", Katara called as she closed the door behind her and dropped her bag to the floor.

"Katara, come in here, please", she heard her father's voice coming from the kitchen. She frowned at the serious note in his voice.

"What is it, Dad?" she questioned and walked towards the kitchen.

Entering the room, Katara froze. Her dad was seated at the table, and next to him sat Sokka, currently staring intensely down at the dark wood with his brows furrowed deeply.

"Please sit." Hakoda gestured to the empty chair across from Sokka.

Katara slowly walked over to the table and sat down. She looked expectantly at her dad, waiting for him to tell her what was the matter.

"It's been two years since I last was sent on a bigger mission", he finally said.

The breath caught in Katara's throat. She started shaking her head. "No, no you can't...", she trailed off.

"I know it was hard the last time, but-"

"How long?" Katara interrupted him.

Hakoda looked her in the eyes, remorse visible in his own. "A year. Maybe one and a half."

The last time he had left, he had been gone for one year and three months. Katara and Sokka's Gran Gran had moved to their house to take care of them, and that was fine – she was great. But at that time, Katara and Sokka had felt completely lost without their dad. They had just moved to their new town, only two months ago, and they both had felt lonelier than ever. At least now, they had built lives here. It didn't make it feel any easier though.

Katara felt tears stinging at the back of her eyes. "A year", she repeated. "You expect us to go through this again? Sitting around, not knowing whether you're dead or still alive from one day to another, for a whole_ year_?!"

Sokka suddenly rose from his chair, almost sending it tumbling to the floor, and walked out of the kitchen, slamming the door to his room shut behind him.

Katara turned back to her dad, who was looking at the now empty chair beside him with a frown. He then turned his head and met her gaze.

"Katara, if I had a choice, I would-"

"But you do, Dad", Katara interrupted him again, her voice loud and angry. "You do have a choice!"

Then she followed her brother's example and left the room. She continued down the corridor and stopped outside Sokka's room – she had to make sure he was alright. She knocked on the door twice and then entered the room.

Sokka sat on the floor next to his bed, his back leaning against the wall. "Not now, Katara", he said without looking up. "Just leave me alone."

Katara paused a second, before turning around and leaving the room. Out in the corridor, she ran a hand through her hair. She needed to get out of there.

She walked towards the front door, reaching for the door handle, but stopped herself before opening the door. Turning her head, she glanced at her bag lying on the floor. She picked it up and fished out her cell phone, then turned and left the house.

Walking down their driveway, she dialled the only number she had cared to learn by heart. It was strange; for the first time, she didn't feel like running. She didn't feel like being alone.

"_Hello, my love"_, came Zuko's happy answer.

Katara ignored his charming greeting. "Zuko, it's my dad. He's leaving again. Can you come pick me up?"

She needed to say no more, Zuko had always understood her better than anyone. _"I'll be there in ten minutes." _Then he hung up.

Katara didn't want to think about how fast he'd be driving to get all the way to her house in ten minutes. Although, when he hit the brakes in front of her house, she found she didn't care anymore. She was too relieved to see him.

Zuko practically jumped off the motorcycle and ran to her with his arms open.

Katara crashed into his chest, letting him embrace her as tears rolled down her cheeks. He didn't need to say anything; he comforted her just by being there.

When they finally pulled apart, Zuko wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled softly down at her. "Where to, my lady?" he asked gently.

"I don't know", Katara said in a small voice. She thought about it for a minute, and then she knew where she wanted to go. "A pier."

Zuko nodded pensively. After a moment, his face lit up. "I know a good one", he said and took her hand, walking back to his bike. They both mounted it, and then they were on their way.

Right there, in that moment, with her arms curled around Zuko's body, hair flying in the wind and the warm light from the setting sun on her face, Katara felt complete. She could forget all about her worries and cares. She was moving – flying above the ground, with the person she loved. That was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

Katara had always preferred to run. But she supposed a motorcycle wasn't that bad either...


	4. Cobalt Blue

**It's very late, but here's my contribution for Day 4!**

**It's the continuation to my fic for Day 3, but I suppose it works as a detached one-shot as well. In that case it's just another Modern AU fic.**

**I don't know, I'm not as happy with this as with the last one... I just wanted this to focus on Zuko, since all my other fics so far has focused on Katara...**

**It's a bit shorter and sweet, though, I suppose :)**

**Hope you like it!**

***I don't own Avatar or any of its characters! **

* * *

**Cobalt blue**

Zuko had never been one to like bright colours. His wardrobe consisted of mainly black and dark red, occasionally white, but white wasn't really a colour, was it?

Though he had always liked blue. He supposed it was because it reminded him of his mother; blue had been her favourite colour too. She had even had one of the day rooms in their villa painted sky blue, not really to Ozai's liking. That room had been sealed shut since the day she left.

However, Zuko had a special thing for cobalt blue. He didn't know why, but there was something about the deep tint that he simply couldn't resist.

* * *

Where he now stood, on the same pier he had taken Katara to just hours ago, Zuko looked up and assessed the colour of the darkening sky. It was a darker shade of blue, but still not quite the perfect tone in his opinion.

Zuko turned his eyes down to the water in front of him. After Katara's father had told her and Sokka he was going to leave for a whole year again, Katara had asked Zuko to take her to a pier and this was the first one he could think of. He had been here once before, when his mother had still been around. Zuko supposed Katara's sudden urge to go here had something to do with a pier being her and her mother's favourite place when she was little, before her mother had died. And he understood, things he had shared with his mother were special to him too.

Zuko shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. All this about Katara's father leaving again had made him think a lot more about his own family, and that wasn't always pleasant.

However, the pier was situated in the outskirts of a town that lay half an hour away from their own. Zuko had driven Katara here on his motorcycle and they had sat down at the railings, watching the sun sink down the horizon. They had walked down to the docks and on a lamppost, they had found advertisement for a common street party in a nearby park, starting at eleven o'clock that same evening.

Deciding she could use some distraction, Katara had called Suki, who had agreed a party sounded like a good idea and told Katara to leave Sokka to her. And Suki being Suki, she managed to convince Sokka the party would help get his mind off of things.

Zuko had taken Katara back home so that she could get changed, and they agreed to meet at the pier at eleven.

It was just past eleven fifteen when Zuko heard the familiar sound of Sokka's blatant old Sedan.

Zuko turned around and saw Suki and Sokka getting out from the front seats.

When Katara stepped out from the back seat, Zuko practically gasped. The only thing he could think was: _Now, _that, _is cobalt blue._

Katara wore a sleeveless dress that reached her just above the knees, and it was the perfect tone of blue. Her long curly hair fell freely around her shoulders, only two tiny braids pulled back from her temples.

Zuko swallowed and walked over to her with wide eyes. "You look..." He shook his head as he couldn't find any words.

Katara grinned mischievously up at him – even with heels, she was shorter than him. "I know your likes and dislikes", she said seductively.

At the back of his mind, Zuko noted that her attitude was very different from only a few hours ago. She had been serious when she had said she would try to forget about her worries just this night. And that was perfectly fine with Zuko.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, a smirk forming on his lips. "You certainly do", he said before leaning in and kissing her deeply.

"Hey, guys", came Sokka's voice from behind Zuko and he broke the kiss. Turning around, he saw that Sokka and Suki had reached the end of the pier, watching him and Katara impatiently. "Are we gonna go, or what?" Sokka continued.

Wow, Zuko mused, Sokka really wasn't his usual self, or he'd be ranting at Zuko not to grope at his sister by now. But he nonetheless let go of Katara and they caught up to the others.

Zuko and Katara's fingers entwined as the four of them continued towards the park, following the sound of the loud music pumping into the night.

As they approached the middle of the park, Zuko realized this was not a small party. There were at least two hundred persons here, drinking, laughing and dancing.

Zuko looked to Katara to see if she'd changed her mind about the party, but she just smiled widely and with excitement sparkling in her eyes, she grabbed hold of his arm and started pulling him towards the "dance floor", that really was just a large lawn.

"Come on, Zuko, dance with me!"

"I think I'm gonna go grab a drink first. But you go dance, and I'll join you later", Zuko excused himself.

Katara just shrugged and leg go of his arm. "Fine", she said and turned around to enter the "dance floor".

Sokka and Suki followed Zuko to the large table filled with drinks. Zuko wondered who had afforded all this liquor as he grabbed a beer can and took a swig.

Sokka and Suki soon left to dance after having a quick drink, and Zuko was left alone. He searched the herd of dancing people with his eyes, until he spotted a deep blue dress at the edge of the dance floor.

Zuko watched as Katara swung her hips and moved her arms around her to the beat of the music. Damn, she really was the most beautiful creature he could imagine. Though that was of course not her finest feature.

Setting his beer can down on the table behind him, Zuko left to join her.

Seeing as how she didn't seem to notice him coming up behind her, Zuko put his hands on her hips and placed a kiss on her neck.

Katara swirled around and found herself trapped in his arms. Zuko smirked down at her and she smiled back as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their bodies started moving together to the music, Katara's hands twisted in Zuko's hair and Zuko's hands pressed to her hip and back. They tuned everything but each other and the music out and Zuko didn't know how long they just kept dancing like this in each other's arms.

Eventually, the beat of the music picked up speed and Zuko's hand slid up Katara's side and then continued up her arm until it closed around her hand. His other hand let go of her hip and he pushed her from him slightly, twirling her in front of him.

When he pulled her back to him, he captured her mouth with his and she returned the passionate kiss.

When they broke the kiss, Katara grimaced. "You taste like beer", she said and giggled.

"How strange", Zuko replied sarcastically. "You wanna grab one too? It's getting quite hot here."

Katara nodded. "Sure", she said and they pushed past the dancing people. Reaching the drinks table, they didn't seem less surrounded by people. They both grabbed a beer can and quickly finished it. Dancing in the middle of a dance floor had built up thirst.

Zuko leaned down towards Katara for her to be able to hear his voice. "Can we go somewhere else? It's awfully crowded here."

Katara just nodded and Zuko grabbed her hand to lead the way.

As they had entered the park, Zuko had spotted a fountain to the right, but they had continued straight forward to the middle of the park. Zuko figured that should be secluded enough.

When they left the worst throng, Zuko shifted so that he walked beside Katara and wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders. "Aren't you cold?" he asked.

Katara shook her head. "No. Not now anyway", she said and intertwined her fingers with his over her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see", Zuko answered with a smile.

When they reached the fountain, Katara gasped slightly and took a few quick steps forward. All around the fountain was lanterns strapped to black metal posts and several lanterns floated on the water surface. The lights were reflected in the water beautifully. There was another couple some distance away, but other than that, they were alone.

"It's so beautiful!" Katara exclaimed.

Zuko pulled her to him, his arms wrapping around her waist. "Yes", he said and looked over her face with admiration in his eyes. "So beautiful."

Katara smiled as she understood he wasn't referring to the fountain. She gently took his face in her hands and pulled his face in, kissing him deeply.

She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I love you", she said softly.

Zuko looked back down at her. Her eyes weren't the deep blue her dress was; they were a softer tone, more like crystalline sea blue. He felt like he could drown in them.

"I love you too, Katara", he said, as much with his eyes as with his voice.

Zuko had always had a thing for cobalt blue. Though, looking into Katara's eyes, he figured he had found a new favourite colour.


	5. Unrequited

**This is ridiculously late, because I went to see my friends yesterday and hadn't expected us to stay up all night... However, my two last fics for Zutara Week will be late as well, but they will be up as soon as possible!**

**This prompt was really difficult. This story is the only thing I could come up with that's not been written a million times before and wouldn't break my heart in writing it. This is not one of my favourites at all...**

**Since all my previous fics have started from Katara and Zuko already being a couple, I figured I should write one where they're not... **

**I hope you like it!**

***I don't own Avatar or any o its characters! **

* * *

**Unrequited**

The moon shone big and round in the sky as Zuko sat at the fountain in one of the courtyards of the Western Air Temple. He had been seated by the water for at least half an hour now. But he wouldn't leave until he had talked to her.

Katara hadn't spoken a word to him since the day he had arrived, when she had given him that warning. Not those few times he had addressed her and not even when he and Sokka had returned with her father and Suki. All she had given him then was a look that wasn't angry or distrustful like they usually were, but still not accepting or grateful.

Zuko was growing tired of her silence. The glares, he could put up with, but her lack of words started to get on his nerves.

He could not be completely sure she would come out here tonight, but considering he had noticed her sneaking out the last couple of nights around midnight and the fact that the moon was full tonight, Zuko had thought it was worth a shot.

And sure enough did Katara come walking towards the fountain maybe an hour after midnight. The moment she saw him, she froze, a glower finding its way onto her face.

Zuko held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "I just want to talk."

"I don't wish to talk to you", Katara answered through gritted teeth. She hadn't moved an inch since she noticed him.

At this, Zuko shot up from the edge of the fountain, making Katara adopt a fighting stance. Before he could stop himself, he said with a sharp tone; "No? It doesn't suit you if you're not threatening me to my life?"

Now, Katara took a few intimidating steps towards him. "Shall I take that as a request?" she questioned in a voice he had never heard before.

Zuko was slightly taken aback by her reply. He didn't know what he had expected her to say, but it certainly wasn't this. He had no idea what he should say, so he said nothing.

Katara stood only a few feet away from him now, and she reached out a hand and pulled a small amount of water from the fountain, moving it in circles above her fingers. "Do you know what a waterbender is capable of during the full moon?" she asked and pulled the water to coat her fingers, freezing it to ice claws.

Zuko stared at the sharp tips of the ice and shivered. He knew that Katara was a very talented bender – at least as powerful as himself, if not even more – and he knew that waterbenders grew a lot stronger with the full moon. But he wasn't sure exactly what she was referring to.

"No?" Katara said. "Maybe you shouldn't throw words such as 'threatening' around so carelessly then", she finished and walked past him to stand in front of the fountain, her shoulder bumping into his as doing so.

Katara sounded strikingly much like Azula, Zuko thought. How could the warm, caring girl he had seen with the Avatar and the others so many times and this cold, frighteningly akin to his sister and almost cruel young woman be the same person?

Zuko blinked and shook his head as he reminded himself of why he was here. He turned and walked over to her silently. Apparently Katara didn't hear him move, because when he came into her field of vision beside her, her reflexes kicked in and she raised a dozen sharp ice daggers from the fountain towards him with her arm.

Zuko stumbled backwards and fell to his back, the daggers stopping only a few inches from his face.

"Relax, I'm just here to talk!" he shouted up at Katara.

"I can never relax with you around", came her cold reply, but she pulled the ice daggers back and dropped them back into the fountain after melting them.

Zuko sighed and stood up. "Look, I get why you don't trust me. I know I've done many stupid things. But we all make mistakes, don't we?"

Katara scoffed humourlessly. "There is so much more to this than just the fact that I don't trust you. I _despise _the things you've done. Because of your actions, Aang got struck by lightning. Because of you, the Earth Kingdom has fallen. Because of that father of yours, my mother is dead. I feel anger rise every time you enter the room, I feel anger from just looking at you. After all you've done, I can't believe everyone else here is so trusting, so ignorant to what you really are. You don't belong here", Katara hissed with a piercing glare.

It hurt. Zuko knew he shouldn't care about the waterbender's liking. He needed to make her trust him, but he didn't need her liking. But her every word hurt him in a way he hadn't expected, and it made him want to hear her say the opposite even more.

"Yeah, well, I don't feel the same!" he threw back fiercely. "I don't _despise _anything about you! I don't _feel anger rise _from just looking at you! In fact, I don't have anything against you at all! I want to be your friend...", Zuko trailed off. He wasn't supposed to want to be her friend, he couldn't afford to care about such virtues with everything else going on that needed his energy. Yet, there was something about Katara that kept drawing his attention. For some reason, his heart wouldn't stop beating faster every time he was in her presence.

At Zuko's outburst and unexpected wish, Katara's face shifted into something that Zuko thought looked an awful lot like distaste. Maybe even disgust.

Zuko's temper flared up again and his hands shot up to grab her shoulders roughly. This probably wasn't the best way to approach her aversion to him, but he didn't care.

"Look, I know the consequences of my previous decisions and actions, I'll probably have to live with them for the rest of my life", he said heatedly and pressed aside the pang of guilt he felt at the thought of the people he had betrayed. "But if you just listen to me, if you just look me in the eyes, you'll see that I'm honest when I say that I don't wish you – any of you – any harm!"

For a moment, Katara's angry stare wavered, as she looked into his eyes. But then, as though catching herself contemplating something completely out of mind, she once again let a glower onto her face and yanked herself out of his grip.

Zuko sighed exasperatedly. "Can't you see that all of your feelings for me are unrequited?!" he shouted down at her. He knew he would soon have to gain control of himself, he was losing his temper with her.

Katara's glare seemed to deepen as she drew in a breath of air. "No, I'll tell you what is unrequited! This delusion you seem to have that we might actually become friends!" The last few words, she practically spat out with antipathy. "You could _never _be a friend of mine, because friendship requires understanding, trust and in this case, _forgiveness_."

Zuko looked into her eyes steadily. "Then I'll have to earn your forgiveness", he said. "No matter what it takes, I _will _earn your forgiveness."

Katara scoffed a cold laughter. "Good luck with that", she said and turned around to leave.

She had taken a few steps when Zuko reached out and grabbed her wrist, making her spin around back towards him.

"There's one thing that's not unrequited", he said. "This heat between us – I know you feel it too. This deep tension that keeps growing stronger and stronger."

For a blink of an eye, Zuko caught a glimpse of something in Katara's eyes that looked like shock at being discovered doing something you shouldn't. But then she composed herself, and scowled up at him. "Don't mistake scorn for whatever it is you think is between us", she hissed and yanked her hand from him. She spun around and started walking away from him.

Just as she was about to turn the corner to leave the courtyard, Katara stopped and threw a strange look at him over her shoulder. Then she turned her head and disappeared into the corridor.

Zuko just stood there beside the fountain and stared at the spot where she had disappeared for a while. When he finally decided to go back to his room, he couldn't help but feel pretty satisfied. Sure, his meeting with Katara had contained some shouting and insults (on Katara's part). But he had gotten her to speak with him, and now he was determined to earn her forgiveness.

Besides, her defensive last reply and that weird look she had given him told him he had managed to get onto her mind. And the thought that Katara would spend some time thinking about him the way he had been pondering about her for the last few weeks was enough to let a satisfied smirk onto his face.


	6. Socks

**Yes, yes, it's very late, but something always seems to get in the way **

**However, here's my sixth fic for Zutara Week!**

**I don't really have much to say, I suppose it's sweet and stuff... Not my favourite...**

**Is the ending too abrupt? Please tell me what you think!**

***I don't own Avatar or any of its characters! **

* * *

**Socks**

"I can't believe you're making me do this, Sokka", Katara complained into her cell phone. She turned a corner in the clothes shop and entered the men's department.

"_Come on, Katara, it's actually your fault all my white socks are now pink"_, Sokka claimed at the other end of the line.

"No, it's not! You're the idiot who put a red sock in the laundry basket when I specifically asked for white!" Katara argued and put a hand to her hip as though he could see her.

"_Well..."_, Sokka trailed off to find the right words. _"You should have noticed it before throwing it in the washing machine!" _he debated.

Katara opened her mouth to bite back about Sokka actually being old enough to wash his own clothes, but closed it again as Sokka continued; _"Besides, it's my birthday! What heartless sister would force her brother to go shopping socks on this very special day?"_

Katara sighed. "Fine", she grumbled and hung reached the socks-shelves and let her gaze trail across the lines of white socks. She reached out a hand to grab a pair that should be about Sokka's size, when she bumped into something.

Rather _someone_, Katara realized as she opened her eyes after the impact and saw the broad chest of a tall person in front of her. She stepped back from him and muttered an apology, rubbing her neck awkwardly.

"Katara?" came the raspy voice of the young man.

Katara looked up and studied his face. The first thing that struck her was the large red scar that covered half his face. She knew she had never seen anything like it, yet there was something strangely familiar about the young man in front of her.

He had raven hair that fell messily in his face. Looking past it, Katara finally realized who he was. Those intense gold eyes couldn't be mistaken.

"Zuko?" she stuttered incredulously. "Is it really you?"

Zuko laughed disbelievingly. "Yes! It's been so long!"

Katara couldn't help herself. She flung her arms around his neck and drew in a deep breath. He smelled just like he used to – the strangely comforting smell of musky smoke. She felt Zuko's warm breath against her neck as he hugged her back.

When they finally parted, Katara looked him deep in the eyes. "Four years, isn't it? It's been four years since you vanished", she said. Then she hit her old childhood friend hard in the head. "How could you do that to me? How could you just leave without saying good bye?!"

"Ow!" Zuko whined and rubbed the spot where she had hit him. "I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast...", he trailed off and looked away.

Katara reached up and placed a hand to his scarred cheek. "How did this happen?" she asked more softly.

Zuko shivered slightly at her touch, but raised a hand to cover hers. "It's a long story", he said and met her gaze.

Katara noticed the pain in his voice as well as in his eyes and decided this was not the place to talk about it. She lowered her hand from his face, but didn't let go of his hand.

"Well, we've got some catching up to do. What do you say about we go grab some coffee? I just have to go buy these socks", she said and grabbed a few pairs from the shelf.

Zuko's one brow rose. "Why are you buying men's socks?"

Katara rolled her eyes and blew at a few loose hairs dangling in front of her eyes. "It's for Sokka. He was stupid enough to put a red sock with the white laundry and blames me for it. And I can't really deny him on 'this very special day'", she said and rolled her eyes again.

Zuko's face shifted into more confusion. "What special day?"

"It's Sokka's birthday today", Katara clarified. "He's seventeen now."

"Oh. I didn't know..." Zuko trailed off awkwardly. They both started walking towards the pay desk.

"Actually, we're having a party tonight", Katara said as they got in line. She turned to him with a bright smile. "You should come."

Zuko smiled back. "I'd love to."

Katara paid for the socks and the two left the store.

Soon, they were walking along the small lake in the towns park, each with a mug of steaming coffee. Zuko told Katara about what had happened with his father all those years ago; about their argument and how Ozai had picked up the hot smoothing iron and hit Zuko across the face with it. Zuko told her about how Ozai had managed to wriggle out of punishment and then sent Zuko to live with Iroh out in the countryside. He told her about the difficult years after that.

By the time Zuko finished, tears rolled down Katara's cheeks. She drew him in for a hug and the way he hugged her back told her he had needed this for a long time.

When they parted, Katara wiped the tears from her face. "You could have called. You could have written a letter. It doesn't matter how, but you could have gotten in touch", she said and turned away from him. "You just disappeared. No one knew where you had gone to. I called your house and came knocking on the door like a million times, but no one ever answered. The few times I've seen your sister, she's just ignored me." Katara turned back to Zuko and met his gaze. "You didn't exactly make it easy for me, Zuko."

Guilt and pain prickled in his eyes and he pulled her in for another embrace. "I know", he mumbled into her hair. "And I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to say... I felt so ashamed at the time, ashamed about my scar, about practically being banished from my home. And then, when the worst was over, it had already been so long and I kind of thought you had all forgotten about me..."

Katara pulled back from his embrace. "You're so stupid", she said and shook her head.

Zuko laughed softly. "I know."

Deciding they had had enough of sad talk, Katara grabbed Zuko's hand and continued walking along the lake. She started telling him about basically anything and everything that had happened since he left. Somewhere along the stories of her first year in high school, they exited the park and half an hour later, they stepped inside her house.

"Katara, finally!" they heard Sokka's voice from upstairs. "The party starts in an hour! I need your help with the balloons! And Suki needs your opinion on the punch! Where have you been?! And did you get me the new socks?"

Zuko and Katara looked at each other and burst out laughing at Sokka's hectic ranting.

They heard Sokka's heavy steps as he stomped over to the stairs and started walking down. "Who the hell is-" he froze as he caught sight of Zuko. "- that?"

Katara stopped laughing and straightened. "You remember Zuko?"

Sokka's mouth fell open and his eyes widened. "...Zuko?"

Zuko did some kind of awkward wave and smiled a little. "Hi..."

Sokka turned his eyes from Zuko to Katara and then back and forth a couple times. "How the hell did this happen?" he asked and gesticulated wildly with his arms.

Katara laughed at her brother again. "I bumped into him in the clothes shop. Speaking of it..." she trailed off and tossed the bag of socks at Sokka. "I hope these will suit your needs", she said in a sarcastic tone.

Sokka examined the socks and deciding they would do, he tossed them over his shoulder so that they landed in his room upstairs. Then he walked down the rest of the stairs and stepped up to Zuko with his arms folded over his chest.

"So, you're back?" he said with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I'm starting college here in town this fall", Zuko answered, straightened his back and looked right back at Sokka.

Katara reckoned this must be some sort of male acceptance-thing and rolled her eyes.

The two boys didn't move a muscle for a while, they just stood there and stared at each other. Then Sokka's face broke into a wide smile and he hugged Zuko, patting his back hard.

"It's good to see you, buddy!" he said when they pulled back.

"You too!" said Zuko with a laugh.

Then Suki finally appeared from the kitchen with a raised eyebrow. "What is going on out here?"

"It's Zuko!" Sokka exclaimed excitedly.

Suki let out a breath of air. "Zuko? It's been a long time!" she smiled and hugged him.

"It sure has", Zuko said. He then turned to Sokka. "Happy birthday, by the way!"

As if suddenly reminded what day it was, Sokka drew out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. He let out a small scream, spun around and ran into the living room. "The guests will be here in less than an hour and we're far from ready!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Katara looked to Suki and Zuko and all three started laughing.

Soon, Sokka's head appeared in the door frame. "Don't just stand there like lazy monkeys! Drag your sorry asses out here and help me!" he ranted and then disappeared again.

Katara gave another short laugh before Suki grabbed hold of her arm and started pulling her towards the kitchen. "You have to try the punch, I'm not sure I got it right", Suki said.

Just before turning the corner into the kitchen, Katara turned her head to Zuko. "You go help Sokka in the living room?"

Zuko nodded and ran after Sokka while Katara went to taste Suki's creation. Then they all worked together to make the house ready for a party to remember.

* * *

Two hours later, the house was full of people; Sokka's entire class at school along with almost everyone from Katara's and loads of other friends. Music was pumping loud and cheerful through the entire house and people were dancing like crazy in the living room.

Zuko had lost count of all the people he had greeted and hugged. He didn't recognise half of the guests and was sure they didn't recognise him either. He received several strange looks from both those he knew before he left and those he didn't, particularly suspicious looks from Jet.

Zuko threw himself on the couch, exhausted from all talking, smiling and hugging. Though, energy flared up in him again as Katara came over and stood in front of him with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Let's see if you're still as awkward a dancer as I remember!" she said loudly over the noise grabbed his hands. She pulled him with her to the middle of the living room floor and placed his hands on her waist, putting her own on his shoulders. The rhythm of the music was quite fast and Katara started swaying her hips to the sides and moving her arms, setting Zuko's shoulders I motion as well.

Zuko was very stiff and a slight blush spread across his cheeks. Katara laughed at his discomfort. "Relax! It's just a dance!" she said to him over the music. "It's fun if you try, I promise!"

Eventually, Zuko started moving with her and once he let go of the shyness, Katara noticed he indeed started enjoying himself.

Suddenly, the song ended and was replaced by another, a slower one. Katara and Zuko looked at each other, both blushing.

Katara soon ignored the slight embarrassment though and wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, stepping closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder.

At first, Zuko stiffened all over. Then he slowly slid his arms around her waist and started moving to the slow music.

Katara closed her eyes and relaxed in Zuko's arms. This felt right. This was the way it was supposed to be. Her and Zuko had grown up together, they had been the best of friends and when he had disappeared, a huge hole had formed in Katara. But now, with Zuko so close to her, it felt like things finally were the way they should be again.

Apparently Zuko thought the same thing, because he suddenly said against her hair; "It's so good to be back."

Katara smiled and nodded against his chest. Then a thought crossed her mind and she leaned her head back to look up at him, a grin on her face.

Zuko studied her face for a moment. "What?"

"If it weren't for Sokka and that red sock, you wouldn't be here right now", Katara said and laughed.

Zuko laughed as well. "I guess he can come in pretty handy from time to time", he said before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her cheek.


	7. Slow Dancing

**So, it's a week late, but I figure it's better late than never, isn't it? However, here's my final contribution for Zutara Week 2014! :D**

**This one was difficult. I had three different ideas and couldn't decide which one I liked best, so I ended up binding all three into one story. I thought about making the end realistic to the real canon, but I couldn't make myself do it. I had to have a happy ending – I can't end Zutara Week with something that would bring myself to tears! Anyway, I suppose this has some humour, some angst (maybe, or am I just oversensitive?) and then some fluff. I realized I've added dancing to several fics this week, but this is the only one that actually revolves around the dance. I hope you like it! **

**It has been so fun to participate in this wonderful event this year. I'm already looking forward to next year's Zutara Week! Hopefully, I'll get most of my works in on time then, at least I will be better prepared next year ;) **

**Also, I will most likely have some more Zutara fan art/fan fiction posted until then. I've got several different fan fictions in the planning stage. For example, I'm thinking about making a longer modern AU fic based on my contributions for Day 3 and 4 of Zutara Week (suggested by Pinkie-Mads on DA). I can't promise anything about when it will be up, but if you liked my one shots this week, then you could keep an eye open ;) **

**I hope you've enjoyed my works for Zutara Week 2014! See ya next year! XD**

***And finally; I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters. It all belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko and Nickelodeon!**

* * *

**Slow dancing**

Katara and Zuko were running, side by side, down the streets of Ember Island.

"I told you you shouldn't pick a fight!" Katara yelled angrily at Zuko and looked over her shoulder. _Damn_, she thought. The soldiers were closing in.

"_I _didn't pick a fight! That jerk asked for it!" Zuko shouted back at her. "What psycho thinks it's okay to just walk up to a girl and put his filthy hands on her?!"

Katara groaned. "I can take care of myself! And what part of 'don't draw attention to yourself' don't you understand?!"

"How would I know that the coward was the son of a Governor and he would run and tell his dad about our little dispute?" Zuko continued to argue.

Katara groaned again. This was not the time to fight about this, they needed to get away from the soldiers.

Suddenly they entered a large square. It was early evening, but the large open space was unusually crowded with people. Katara then caught sight of what attracted the attention of all these people. In the middle of the square, on a heightened platform of sorts stood a handful of people, each with an instrument and at the moment playing slow, emotional music. All around the platform were dancing couples, all clinging tightly to each other and swaying their bodies to the music.

At that moment, Katara realized what to do. Throwing a last glance over her shoulder at the nearing soldiers, she grabbed hold of Zuko's arm and pulled him with her straight into the dancing crowd.

Katara didn't stop until they were in the middle of the square, covered from the soldiers by all dancing couples, and she threw her arms around Zuko's neck.

"Katara, what are you-"

"Shush, just dance with me as if we're deeply in love", Katara instructed him and rested her head against his chest.

Zuko hesitated for a moment, before doing as he was told and wrapping an arm around her waist, pressing his other hand against her side left bare by her Fire Nation outfit.

Katara winced slightly as they started dancing the slow dance. Sure, she had told him to act in order to uphold their cover, but she hadn't been prepared for his warm, sensual touch.

Zuko seemed to have noticed her shiver because suddenly, Katara felt his laughter. She leaned her head back and looked up at him. She could see he fought not to grin too widely.

"Oh, shut up. Don't enjoy yourself too much", Katara muttered to him and purposely stepped on his foot.

This only brought Zuko to laugh more and Katara lowered her head to his chest again to hide her blush.

Only a couple of days ago, she would have pulled enough water from the air to form a sharp ice dagger and pressed it against his throat for laughing at her. A couple of days ago, she would never even have thought about dancing with Zuko to hide from a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers; she would have preferred being caught and having to break out of jail.

But then, after Zuko had helped her find her mother's killer, everything had changed. She had finally been able to forgive his past mistakes and during those last few days, she had found out he was actually a really nice person. They had become friends.

So, when she heard the soldiers push through the dancing crowd behind her, she didn't feel too uncomfortable leaning closer into his touch. She felt Zuko shift a bit so that their faces were well covered and after a few moments, the guards continued straight past them and moved further into the crowd.

When he estimated the coast was clear, Zuko pulled back a bit and looked down at Katara, still with his arms around her.

"You're a genius!" he said and smiled at her.

Katara scoffed. "You're lucky I'm here to get us out of the trouble _you _caused!" she answered and shook her head.

Zuko laughed. "Well, I couldn't very well let that bastard treat you the way he did without consequences!"

"That doesn't give you reason to start beating him down! Is it really worth blowing our covers?" Katara argued.

"You're worth so much more", Zuko said earnestly and looked into her eyes.

A blush spread across Katara's face and she averted her eyes.

Zuko cleared his throat. Where did that come from? "Anyway, we didn't get caught, no one knows who we are and no harm has been done."

Katara laughed. "No. Except for that poor sprat. I doubt he'll be able to walk for a few days ahead", she said and looked back at him.

Zuko scoffed. "That wretch deserved no less", he muttered.

Katara rolled her eyes, but a small smile was playing on her lips. She then lowered her head and rested it upon his chest again.

Zuko's heart jumped. Why was she still dancing with him? The soldiers were gone, they were out of danger. He didn't complain, it was just a bit surprising. Zuko still hadn't completely gotten used to Katara not hating him.

He wasn't entirely sure why he had reacted so harshly when that boy had walked over to them at the market and put his hands on Katara's hips, whispering something in her ear. Zuko had just gotten so angry and couldn't control his temper.

He did have a pretty strong sense of honour, which certainly had played a role in his reaction; the boy had treated Katara outright dishonourable. But there had been something else in Zuko's irrational anger. It had something to do with the fact that it was _Katara _who was being treated dishonourably. Zuko didn't think he would have reacted so strongly if it had been any other girl. Katara meant something special to him... And the way she clung to him as they danced made warmth spread through his entire body.

Suddenly, Katara pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "Thank you for defending me", she said quietly. "Even though it was stupid", she added with a smile.

Zuko's heart skipped a beat. She was so beautiful. The smile, the eyes... And she was smart and kind (now that she had forgiven him anyway). She was an excellent bender. She was perfect. Zuko wondered how it could have taken him this long to realize this.

Zuko chuckled to cover his moment of admiration. "You're welcome", he replied and smiled back. _I would do it again for you_.

Then Katara pulled out of his close embrace. "We probably should head back", she said, something that sounded like disappointment in her voice.

Zuko was taken aback. Did she want to stay here with him? She couldn't possibly feel any of what he was feeling, could she?

However, he was quick to hide both the surprise and his own disappointment and straightened. "Yeah, we probably should", he said and they turned to leave the dancing crowd.

On their way back to his family's beach house, they were careful not to bump into a guard patrol. Every now and then, Zuko would sneak a glance at Katara. Once again, he wondered how he could have been ignorant to his feelings for her this long.

* * *

Cheerful music filled the large ballroom of the Fire Nation palace. The dance floor was filled with happy couples. And really, why wouldn't they be happy? It was the coronation feast, a celebration for the new Fire Lord!

The new Fire Lord, who was currently seated at the large dining table. His intense gaze followed a certain dark skinned girl dressed all in blue, swirling around the centre of the dance floor with the Avatar. Not a single worry was visible on her face, only happiness.

Zuko wished he could just be happy at the sight of her, but he couldn't look past her energetic dance partner.

Suddenly noticing the familiar song was close to its end, Zuko saw his chance. He swiftly rose from the table and walked over to the dance floor. He waited for the song to end, and then stepped up to Katara.

"May I have the next dance?" he questioned with a smile and offered his arm.

Katara looked somewhat surprised and threw a glance at Aang, before smiling at Zuko. "Yes you may", she said and accepted his arm.

Letting Zuko lead her further into the room, she turned her head and offered Aang an apologetic smile. Zuko noticed this but ignored it.

The couple had reached the end of the room when the music resumed, this time a slower, more intimate song.

Zuko smirked and pulled Katara close, wrapping his arms around her waist and engaged in a swaying motion. Katara placed her hands on his shoulders in return and fell into the slow dance.

She looked up at him and met his gaze. "I can't believe it's over", she said softly.

Zuko understood what she meant. "Me neither. Two weeks ago, we were still at war. Now we're at peace. I'm the Fire Lord!" he said incredulously.

Katara laughed. "It is unbelievable." She let one of her hands slide to the back of his neck. "I know you'll do a great job, though. I know you can bring this nation back up from the insanity your ancestors caused. You have the ability to change hearts."

Zuko laughed softly. "Strange. That's exactly what I've been thinking about you..."

Katara smiled and leaned her head down to rest against his chest. "I'm so glad you came to us that day at the Western Air Temple."

"Me too", Zuko mumbled into her hair. Then they just danced in comfortable silence, without really noticing they slowly moved out on the balcony at the end of the room. Until Zuko could no longer hold back what he had been thinking of since the dance had begun.

He moved one of his arms and placed his hand against Katara's side. "Remember this?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Katara immediately pulled her head back to look up at him. "Yes", she said, unable to stop herself from smiling as well. She wrapped her arms around his neck to fully reiterate their previous dancing pose. She looked into his eyes. "Feels like ages ago...", she said quietly.

Zuko swallowed. She was so beautiful. "Ages...", he agreed in a whisper. Then he slowly lowered his head, stopping only an inch from her face. He let his eyes flicker to hers swiftly, before closing them and leaning in the rest. Their lips met.

He had thought that his feelings for Mai had been love. But now he knew that had never been the case. Truly, he had cared about her and he had had a special connection with her. But it had never been love, he knew that now, with Katara in his arms.

The kiss was soft. Innocent and sweet. One part of Katara wanted to stay in it forever, and for the briefest moment, she answered his kiss. But then the other part of her took over and she pulled back, out of the kiss and out of Zuko's embrace.

"I can't." She dared not meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Zuko stiffened all over. Suddenly he was angry. "Is it because of Aang?" he questioned through gritted teeth.

"Yes", Katara answered and fixed her eyes upon the rising moon in the horizon. "And no. I just can't do this right now. We've got a whole world to rebuild. I can't make this decision at the moment."

Zuko then stepped forward and gripped her shoulders. "I love you, Katara! We can rebuild the world together! We will! But for the moment, just let me tell you that _I love you_!"

"I know!" Katara blundered out and finally met his gaze. Tears were forming in her eyes. "I know. But I_ can't _do this now." She pulled out of his hold as the tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry", she whispered before turning around and hastily leaving the balcony.

Zuko stood there for a long time and stared after the girl he loved, wondering what he possibly could have done differently to make her stay.

* * *

"Do you think she will come?" Aang asked absent-mindedly.

"I don't know", Zuko replied and looked out a window of the ballroom. The feast of the half year-anniversary since the end of the war had just begun and the guests were currently sitting by the large dining table. The sun was on its way down.

Zuko turned to Aang, who was sitting by his side. "You never know with Katara...", he said to the younger boy and offered a weak smile.

Aang looked down at his plate. "I guess not."

No one but Sokka and Suki had seen Katara since the coronation feast. After fleeing the feast, she had travelled straight to the South Pole and hadn't left her home for almost six months. Sokka and Suki had headed there as well about two months after Zuko's coronation, but had only stayed a few weeks before continuing their journey to Kyoshi Island. According to them, Katara was busy helping in the reconstruction of the Southern Water Tribe.

However, her absence was palpable. A huge hole was left in the ambience. Though his other friends were still around, Zuko felt lonelier than ever.

The few weeks Aang had stayed in the Fire Nation after the coronation, he and Zuko had barely spoken a word to each other. They had just kept glaring at each other, occasionally bumping into each other's shoulders as they passed each other in the halls. They both were aware of the other's feelings for Katara and neither of them had been willing to lay down their pride and talk it out.

Eventually, Toph and Iroh had had enough and stepped in. Toph had metalbended them to chairs opposite each other and locked them in a guest room in the palace. Of course it had worked. The two boys had stopped acting like big babies and had finally talked. Much to Toph and Iroh's appreciation, Zuko and Aang had decided their friendship was too important to be destroyed by something like this. It wasn't their choice after all and they both just wanted Katara to be happy.

So, when Aang had been to leave the Fire Nation with Iroh to travel around the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom and help remain the peace, he and Zuko had said goodbye as friends with the agreement that they would both accept Katara's choice when she finally would make the decision.

Now, five months later, they both missed Katara terribly. No one knew how long she'd stay at the South Pole.

Zuko did his best to participate in the joy of the anniversary and took part of as many conversations he could. Though when people left the dining table to dance, Zuko excused himself and snuck out onto the balcony at the back of the room. He leaned against the railing and looked up at the moon.

He didn't know how many slow, emotional and utterly annoying songs the musicians had played when a voice finally reached his ears from behind him.

"May I have the next dance?"

Zuko swirled around and was met by the breathtaking sight of the girl he loved and had longed for so long. Katara wore a long, sleeveless deep blue dress, her hair in an elegant updo, though still with her characteristic hair loopies. She looked amazing.

"Katara!" Zuko exclaimed and ran up to her, throwing his arms around her and lifting her from the ground. He twirled around with her in his arms and she laughed. "I've missed you", he breathed as he put her back down and leaned his forehead against hers.

Katara folded her arms around his neck. Zuko tightened his hold around her waist and they, once again, started dancing the slow dance to the music that drifted out to them through the open balcony doors. Their foreheads still touched and they just danced with closed eyes.

"I'm sorry", Katara finally whispered.

Zuko leaned back at the serious note in her voice and studied her face. She was frowning as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I never got in touch. I just needed some time to figure things out...", she trailed off.

"And? What did you figure out?" Zuko questioned and braced himself for her decision. He had promised Aang, and himself, that he would accept it whatever she had decided.

Katara just looked into his eyes for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then her hands slowly trailed to his face and she drew him in, kissing him deeply.

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise, but he soon closed them and let himself be lost in her kiss. He had waited and wished for this so long. The relief he felt was overwhelming.

When they finally broke the kiss, Zuko was no longer certain whether this was real or just a wonderful, wonderful dream. He let a hand stroke her cheek.

"What about Aang?" he asked and looked into her eyes. The last few weeks, he had almost convinced himself she would choose the Avatar over him. Even though he didn't like to think it, he knew that Aang probably deserved her more than he did.

"I've already spoken with him", she said and looked down. "Ever since my mother died, I've always tried to put everyone else's needs before my own, especially after we found Aang. There has always been so much that needed to be done, there was always someone who needed me. I've never really had time to care for just myself, to be selfish. But..." Katara lifted her eyes back to meet his. "I think the time for me to be selfish is now. With you."

Zuko's heart jumped in his chest. A wide smile spread across his face. "Let's be selfish", he said before leaning in and conquering her lips with his own.

In one slow dance, he had fallen for her. In another, she had left him broken and scattered. And in a third, she had picked up the pieces and healed him with a kiss.


End file.
